A Quick Strategy Guide To Emerald Nightmare In WoW Legion

Tomorrow morning the doors to World of Warcraft: Legion's first raid will open. Emerald Nightmare is a corrupted section of the Emerald Dream, and one with seven bosses for you to conquer. In this guide we will briefly go over the major elements of each boss encounter so that you can claim your loot as soon as possible.

Before we get started, here is the pertinent information regarding Emerald Nightmare:

• The first five bosses are non linear.
• LFR wings one, two, and three will be available September 27th, October 11th, and October 25th respectively. This difficulty will drop item level 835+ gear and +250 Artifact Power items.
• Full Normal clears will be available on September 20th. This difficulty will drop item level 850+ gear and +400 Artifact Power items.
• Full Heroic clears will be available on September 20th. This difficulty will drop item level 865+ gear and +500 Artifact Power items.
• Full Mythic clears will be available on September 27th. This difficulty will drop item level 880+ gear and +600 Artifact Power items.

With that noted, let's go over each boss.

1a. Nythendra

Background: Nythendra was once a member of the Green Dragonflight charged with guarding the world tree, Shaladrassil. When Xavius' corruption of the Nightmare consumed Shaladrassil it consumed the sleeping guardian as well. Nythendra is now nothing more than a skeletal version of herself, swarming in pestilence, ready to devour anyone or anything foolish enough to enter her lair.​

Introduction: Nythendra is an easy to comprehend two-phase battle that is considered the best starting point for raids.

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General Strategy: This boss causes widespread poison damage. You will want to avoid the poison on the floor and move away from nearby teammates when afflicted with Rot. There are also dangerous insects that will spawn during Heart of the Swarm that you will want to avoid. Due to the stacking, poison based nature of damage inflicted during the battle, damage will ramp up as the fight gets longer, which will place extra pressure on healers during phase two.

Tank Strategy: Volatile Rot will cause AoE damage around you, so pull the boss to the edge of the room away from your teammates.

DPS Strategy: Prepare to burst during phase two. Try to line up your cooldowns to be available during the transition.

1b. Elerethe Renferal

Background: Elerethe, once a mighty druid and adept shapeshifter, was led down a dark path by the belief that she was betrayed by her closest allies. Her consciousness now resides in the Nightmare, damning her to an existence of fear, confusion, and hatred.​

Introduction: Elerethe is a two phase battle where the boss will transition between two forms, Spider and Roc. You will battle her on three different platforms.

General Strategy: This battle involves lots of movement as the boss will fly to a new platform during Roc form, and requires quick focus fire against spiderlings in Spider form. Shimmering Feathers can be picked up during transitions which will provide additional movement speed between platforms and a special ability that's very effective against grouped spiderlings

Tank Strategy: Pick up Spiderlings when the boss is in Spider form. Trade taunts between tanks when Raking Talons is cast during Roc form.

DPS Strategy: Engage burst AoE during Spider phase. During Roc form be prepared to move and place Twisting Shadows away from the raid.

1c. Il'gynoth

Background: Lodged in the hollows of a now decrepit world tree, Il'gynoth is a manifestation of the horrors that lie at the heart of the Nightmare. It is a mass of corruption—a thing that should not be. Its tendrils seep through the ground, emerging in countless horrifying eyestalks and limbs.​

Introduction: Il'gynoth features many adds with a repeating two-phase structure based around exposing the boss to short periods of damage.

General Strategy: Defeating this boss involves killing a series of adds near the Eye of Il'gynoth, which will in turn open up the boss to 50 seconds of damage. Balancing cooldown usage between the two phases is a balancing act, in addition to surviving AoE damage including Ground Slam which does straight line damage targeted at an ally​

Tank Strategy: Pick up Dominator Tentacles and NIghtmare Horrors. Move the Nightmare Horrors when Nightmare Corruption is placed.

DPS Strategy: ​Interrupt Deathglare Tentacle Mind Flays when cast. Prioritize adds as the following: Deathglare Tentacles -> Corruptor Tentacles -> Nightmare Ichors -> Dominator Tentacles -> Nightmare Horror.

1d. Ursoc

Background: Ursoc is one of the Wild Gods. Patron of the furbolg, and closely linked to the druidic power of shapeshifting, the ancient great bear has long been a protector of Azeroth. But as Ursoc slumbered at his shrine in the Grizzly Hills, the world around him was plunged into corruption, and he awoke to torment and Nightmare, consuming and twisting his being.​

Introduction: Ursoc is the most straightforward fight in the raid, although he is capable of delivering massive damage and has a large health pool.

General Strategy: This fight involves splitting your raid into two groups and allowing the boss to charge with Focused Gaze between the two. Your two groups should move close together to soak up damage.

Tank Strategy: Trade taunts on Overwhelm.

DPS Strategy: ​Make cooldowns available when the boss hits 30% at which point he will enrage.

1e. Dragons of Nightmare

Background: The Emerald Dream was entrusted to Ysera for safekeeping, and the mightiest of her green dragon brood were assigned to stand watch over four portals that connected directly to Azeroth. But even before the Cataclysm, these dragons began to show signs of corruption. Now, the path to the Nightmare's core runs through the dragon's lair.​

Introduction: The Dragons of Nightmare consist of Ysondre, Lethon, Emeriss, and Taerar, all of which who share a health pool. Although, only two bosses will be available at any given time.

General Strategy: As with Ursoc, split your team into two groups. Each group is responsible for engaging one of the two available dragons at any given time. The difficulty of this encounter comes from the mixture of you needing to split your forces, constant evolution of available dragons, and adds spawning. Having a priority system for your DPS is pivotal to success.

Tank Strategy: Trade taunts between dragons at seven stacks of Mark. Face dragons away from the raid to minimize Corrupted Breath damage. Pickup adds as they spawn.

DPS Strategy: ​Prioritize adds. Interrupt Corruption casts from Essences of Corruption.

6. Cenarius

Background: The demigod Cenarius is the father of druidism in Azeroth and one of the world's oldest and most powerful protectors. His disturbing slumber within the groves of Val'sharah was the first sign of the depth of the growing threat from within the Nightmare. That dark power now has complete hold over him, and he may lie beyond hope of redemption.​

Introduction: Similar to Il'gynoth, Cenarius is an add based encounter featuring one of Warcraft's most well-knkown characters, in addition to Malfurion Stormrage as an ally. There are many debuffs and mechanics that require movement away from the raid to avoid splash damage, requiring great timing and cohesion within the raid.

General Strategy: Phase one consists of dealing with adds, avoiding AoE damage, and cleansing an add with Malfurion to fight for your raid during each add wave. Make sure to spread out and clear stacks of Creeping Nightmares when they get to 30. Phase two is a boss burn, requiring a high surge of DPS and healing to take down Cenarius before his damage overwhelms the raid.

Tank Strategy: In phase one decide which tank will focus on the boss and which will focus on adds. The boss tank will need to move Cenarius to be cleansed after he casts Forces of Nightmare. The adds tank will pick up all adds that spawn outside of Corrupted Wisps. In phase two trade taunts after Cenarius casts Spear of Nightmares.

DPS Strategy: ​Prioritize adds. Interrupt Twisted Touch of Life cast by Twister Sisters. Add priority is as follows: Corrupted Wisps -> Twister Sister -> Rotten Drake -> Nightmare Ancient.

7. Xavius

Background: Once a powerful mage, and a councilor to Queen Azshara, Xavius forged a pact with Sargeras to enable the Legion's first invasion of Azeroth. Cursed and tormented in the wake of that defeat, Xavius plots vengeance against the world from within the Rift of Aln. Those who venture into the Nightmare will face the full extent of his power, and his true form, find a grotesque and distended monstrosity.​

Introduction: Xavius is a moderately complex three phase encounter that divides the raid into two, each with unique responsibilities. Positioning and understanding of the battle's most important mechanics are pivotal to success.

General Strategy: This battle features a Dream mechanic which places half of raid in a dreamworld while the other half stays behind. It also has a Corruption mechanic which stacks on non-dreaming players, eventually exposing them to unstoppable damage. Dreaming players will be responsible for preventing Corruption from spreading and prioritizing the large add that will spawn and should be tanked off to the side of Xavius. There will be a tank debuff that should only be removed by a dreaming healer. Players will be targeted by a red arrow perpendicular to the boss, and should aim it away from boss, raid, and add locations to minimize damage.

Tank Strategy: During phase one, dreaming tank picks up adds and holds them to the side of the boss. In phase two, trade taunts upon three stacks of Blackened.

DPS Strategy: Stack in the middle of the room. Prioritize adds and move out of the raid when targeted by red arrow. Have cooldowns ready for phase 3 to kill tentacles as quickly as possible.

 

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